A few more puppy pics

Black boy

Green boy going up and over the purple elephant.  At this age, the pups don't have the concept of going around. 

Silly Pink girl

Blue boy sleeping scrunched up next to the litter box

Red boy sleeping on the purple elephant

Coming to life

The pups have started hearing, and are engaging with the world around them.  They are actively exploring their pen, playing with the toys, and chewing a bit on each other.  In addition to the adorable puppy mews and trills, the pups are starting to do a bit of barking.  I have added a small litter box to the pen, and I have seen Pink and Blue actually go down to the litter box on their own to toilet.  Such good puppies.  Juliette is trying to get the pups to nurse while she is standing, but they are not quite strong enough for that.  However, canned food is a hit, and their systems appear to be adapting well to solids.  Currently increasing the amount fed, and will introduce soaked kibble this weekend. 

Puppy close ups

Yellow boy

Blue boy

Blue nursing

Green boy

Green boy sleeping on the elephant

Purple nursing

Red boy

Red boy

2 week puppy pics

Updated puppy pen

Creative nursing by Pink girl

All lined up at the milk bar

Green boy on top of the puppy pile

Green boy and Pink girl

Red boy sleeping on Orange boy

The purple elephant has been a hit

Yellow boy on the elephant

Pink girl walking and showing off her eyes

2 weeks old

2 weeks old, and 6 of the 8 pups weighed at least 3 lbs this AM.   Pups gained 1 lb to 1 lb 6 oz last week.  They are currently gaining an amazing 2-3 oz per day, so that is over 1 lb of net litter weight gain per day that Juliette is supporting - that is a lot of calories!  Juliette is chowing down on 8 cups of kibble, plus a hard boiled egg and some chicken scraps, and is always eager for her next meal.  Yesterday, I updated the puppy collars to their first set of snap collars.  All the pups except for big boy Yellow have their eyes open.  Finishing up with BioSensor tomorrow - yeah!   I have added the low half gate to the puppy pen, and Juliette is already fine with the other dogs coming and going into the pen.  I also added some stuffed animals to the pen, so more environmental enrichment.  For lunch, the pups got their first bite of canned food - all except Green boy approved. 

Puppy pics

Look how big the pups have gotten

Fat little pupsters

The small puppy pen set up in my bedroom.  I am starting to expose the pups to different
 textures as part of environmental enrichment

Sleeping separated by color

A beautiful line up - NOT staged!

Yellow boy showing off his walking

Yellow boy walking (or wobbling is probably more accurate)

Sweet dreams from Red and Green boys

Making milestones

When doing BioSensor exercises tonight, I was surprised to see Black boy looking back at me - the first pup with its eyes open.  With the black pups, you can't easily see the eyelids starting to crack open like we can with the yellow pups.  I am expecting most of the other pups to open their eyes this weekend.  The pups have all doubled their birthweights, most by 9-10 days of age which is excellent.  The pups are fat little pupsters, gaining 2-3 oz per day, so Juliette is obviously producing lots of milk.  Just a couple of days ago, I increased Juliette to 8 cups of kibble per day, much to her delight. 

1 week old puppy pics

Puppies sprawled out in the pool. 

Private nursing session

An arrangement of puppies

Blue boy sleeping

Blue boy sleeping all crunched up

Pink girl sleeping up against Juliette's rump

Green boy asleep at the milk bar

Red boy

1 week old

One week old yesterday, but acting more like 10 days old.  These pups are amazingly strong and vigorous, especially when I am doing BioSensor exercises with them.  However, in other ways, they look their age - namely the amount of pigment and lack of any eye opening yet.  At 1 week, 3 pups were over 2 lbs (Blue, Yellow and Purple).  The pups gained 12-16 oz their first week and weights ranged from 1 lb 13 oz (Orange) to 2 lbs 2 oz (Yellow).  The pups are starting to toilet on their own and trying to walk.  Monday evening, I moved them from the pool into a small ex-pen set up on top of a blanket, since it was getting too hot and stuffy in the pool.  Juliette is doing great, producing lots of milk and eagerly consuming 6 cups of high calorie kibble plus a hard boiled egg and a few other goodies. 

More puppy pics

With it so nice and warm, the puppies sleep sprawled out around the pool

Juliette and 4 day old pups with paint dabs for ID

The pups are already strong enough to nurse with Juli sitting up

Creative nursing by Pink girl

Symmetrical boys (Yellow and Orange boys)

Yellow boy rolled over and set up this pic

Green boy.  Juliette keeps pushing back the bedding so she can rest on the cooler pool plastic.  We need to check frequently for "puppy burritos". 

Yellow boy sleeping on Juliette's rear leg, showing off his new tie elastic collar.

Close up of Yellow boy, the biggest pup.

A cute threesome (Green, Yellow and Red boys)

Close up of Blue boy.  The pups often sleep with their tongues out at this age. 

5 days old

Five days old and the pups are thriving.  Most have already gained 1/2 lb since birth.  Juliette is eating 6 cups of food, her milk is coming in nicely, and all mammary glands are functional.  She has 9 mammary glands, not very symmetrical, but the pupsters don't complain.   BioSensor early neurological stimulation exercised began on Thursday, more info at:    http://www.angelfire.com/ca/curlycr/2001pups2a.html  These pups are squirming vigorously during the exercises and some are already able to scooch off the cold washcloth (the final BioSensor exercise).  Most of their time is spent sleeping and nursing.  Their sleep is very "active", with lots of jerking, which is perfectly normal.  They have already lost their pronounced newborn startle reflex and are seeming to enjoy some gentle stroking.  Other than BioSensor exercises, we don't stress pups this age by holding them yet.  This morning, I did their first nail trim and upgraded them to elastic tie collars. 

Special whelping pics

Liz Kaye http://lizkaye.com/ has graciously shared some of the professional photographs she took during the whelp.  Enjoy!

Juliette taking care of her newborn pup

Juliette getting a massage from Nancy

Keeping the new little one warm

Looks like Red boy, the last pup born

Juliette getting some rapid absorbing calcium gel mixed with vanilla ice cream and Nutrical.  The calcium
increases the strength of the uterine contractions and helped Juliette delivery the later pups. 

Juliette and her brood

One of the last pups being born.  Juliette is so calm during the whelping process, we are able to leave the other pups in the pool with her while the next pup is being born.  With some dams, we need to move the pups into the warming box to keep them safe and out of the way while the dam is actively delivering a pup. 

Tying off the umbilical cord.  The green discharge is normal. 

Proud mama

Resting with the babies

The pups are already keen to nurse

Newborn pups

Red boy

Creative nursing by Yellow boy, an amazingly strong pup at birth.  He was
scooching around the pool within an hour of being born.